


Rose

by rikkafish



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-05
Updated: 2012-04-05
Packaged: 2017-11-03 02:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/376198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikkafish/pseuds/rikkafish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Valentine's Day and Edward is nervous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rose

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic a while ago for Valentine's Day, I know we're not really close to February anymore, but I still wanted to post it! :)

It was rather shocking that _this_ was the person to bring the great Fullmetal Alchemist down. He knew no one, _no one_ , would have expected this, least of all himself. But no, here he was, sitting across from the bane and the reason of his existence in a small nameless coffee shop, nervously twirling a rose between his forefinger and his thumb under the table, watching him, waiting for the right moment. A perfect black eyebrow was arched in his direction as he shifted in his seat and opened and closed his mouth in repeated and failed attempts at conversation. It wasn’t like Roy was being much help, just sitting there and giving him that look. Damn Al, damn him for figuring out his older brother's stupid crush and making him do this. 'He'll let you down easy if he doesn't feel the same,' the armor had said. 'But it doesn't matter, because I know he does. I can't believe you haven't noticed it yet.'

He shouldn't be this nervous; he's done this before. No, he hasn't, and he knows it. This is different, so much different, why can’t he just hold out the stupid flower and say “Happy Valentine’s Day” and be done with it. It had to be the look he was giving him. That look that said, “What the hell are you doing?” He was used to being on the receiving end of that look but that didn’t mean he liked it. Especially now, couldn’t the man see he was suffering?

Suddenly, Edward realized that Roy had said something and was waiting for his response. He stared at the older man, blinking stupidly and working his jaw until Roy repeated his question.

"How is Alphonse?" Roy asked, slowly, as though he was speaking to someone who didn't quite have a grasp on the Amestrian language.

"He's uh," Edward started. Who was Alphonse again? Oh, yes, Alphonse Elric, his little brother, the armored shadow, the reason Edward was even here today. "He's great."

"That's good," Roy said, giving the younger alchemist an odd look, a look that said, "Who are you and what have you done with Edward Elric?"

"Yeah," Edward said, nodding, and they fell into another nervous silence. At least it was nervous on Edward's end. Why wasn't Roy nervous? Did he not realize what day it was? They were eating together in a romantic setting on this day of all days, was this a date?

"Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" Roy asked, trying to break the silence.

Edward jumped, not expecting him to speak again. "Oh, uh, yeah... Little town called Zephyr, we're leaving in a few days."

"And where's that?"

Why was he trying to make such pointless conversation? Couldn't he see that Ed was having trouble using his vocal cords? "North of Rush Valley; we're probably going to visit Winry as well."

The man nodded. "Tell her hi for me."

Ed was thankful that didn't require a response because he wasn't sure he could come up with another one, so he just nodded and made a positive-sounding noise.

Roy obviously noticed his turmoil, and gave a small half smile. "Would you like something to drink or eat?" he asked.

"Yes please," Edward said, sounding too grateful and earning him another strange look. "I mean, sure, just get me whatever…"

Roy stood and walked to the counter, and Ed relaxed now that he was alone and could figure out how to do this Valentine's thing by himself. It was so simple, and he had gone through so much more than this, why was this small, insignificant, goddamned _flower_ so goddamned _confusing_! 

He had no more time to think, Roy was coming back with two cups of coffee and a large slice of cake. This is it, Elric, he told himself. If you don't do it now, you're never going to do it. If you don't do it, you can just throw the rose down and step on it because it'll be useless anyway.

He was sitting down again, offering the coffee with a small smile. Edward, without thinking, lifted the hand with the rose to take it. They both stopped, looking at the flower and Edward noticed Roy's "What the hell is that?" look.

Edward cleared his throat and held it out to Roy as if that was his original intention and said in the steadiest voice he could muster, "Happy Valentine's Day."

There was a long, drawn out silence and Edward started to get nervous again. He wasn't going to take it; he hated it, he was going to turn him down, but he would be nice about it, because that was the kind of person Roy was, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt--

"Thank you," Roy said, cutting off Edward's thoughts. He took the rose from Ed's hand, and caught the hand when Ed tried to pull it back. Edward looked startled at Roy, confused for a moment until Roy lifted the hand and brushed his lips across the knuckles.

Later that night when Ed was calling Al to tell him he wasn't going to come home until morning, all Al had to say to him was, "I told you so."


End file.
